LAKE ELSINORE: Golf course to stay private

An agreement with a developer gave the
city
the option of taking over the course built in conjunction with the
Summerly
housing tract.

City officials, however, concluded there is too much risk involved with municipal ownership of the
Links at Summerly
golf course.

"I think this is one (opportunity) in which it was a great thing for the city not to get involved and to let it go," Mayor Brian Tisdale said. "The staff report showed that it was well run, but it still operates at a loss. ... A loss shouldn't be picked up by taxpayers' dollars."

A golf course management consultant evaluated the course's operation and found it to be well run with reasonable costs by its owner,
McMillin Communities
, according to interim City Manager Tom Evans' report to the council Tuesday.

The potential benefits to the city would be revenue, control over fees and obtaining a debt-free property, the consultant concluded.

On the other hand, the city would need to hire employees to run the course or lease it to an operator; it might not generate enough revenue to meet costs; and there are legal limits on fees that can be charged by a government agency.

"This is truly one (issue) where capitalism will do us really good," Tisdale said.

Perhaps the biggest factor, however, is that the course was designed for flood control if the lake should overflow during massive rains, as has happened in the past.

"The primary use for that piece of real estate is as flood storage," Councilman Bob Magee said. "After the floodwaters recede, there would need to be a significant amount of cleanup.

"McMillin Communities is economically incentivized to clean that up as quickly as possible and return it to playing conditions to have it remain as an attraction for existing homeowners and new homebuyers as well."

Property restrictions require that land southeast of the lake to be used only as a golf course open to the public, so it could not be converted to another use or made private.

"It was the first golf course in our valley in 85 years," Magee said. "We want to protect it and ensure that it continues to operate and garners rave reviews."

In 1924, the Southern California Athletic and Country Club opened a course along Corydon Street not far from where the Links at Summerly is situated. The club, along with the course, shut down after only a year in business, according to Tom Hudson's "Lake Elsinore Valley: Its Story, 1776-1977."

Also, the
clubhouse
has proved a popular spot for dining, meetings and parties, and also serves as a marketing tool for the adjacent residential development.

"The city is not in the business of running a golf course and as long as we have safeguards in place that it will remain a public venue open to all citizens and maintained in a professional manner, my concerns have been alleviated," Magee said.